Two-roll shipping and dispensing container



June 30, 1970- J. VOYTKO 3,517,370

TWOROLL SHIPPING AND DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed July 20, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTOR. Joseph Voytko MMQ ,4 T TORNE Y June 30, 1970 J. vovmo TWO-ROLL SHIPPING AND DISPENSING CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 20, 1967 INVEI V'I'OR. Joseph. Voyiko Fig.7

United States Patent 3,517,870 TWO-ROLL SHIPPING AND DISPENSING CONTAINER Joseph Voytko, Lakewood, Ohio, assignor to Westvaco Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 20, 1967, Ser. No. 654,788 Int. Cl. B26f 3/02 U.S. Cl. 225-34 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A one piece container for two rolls of flexible wrapping material such as, saran, paper, foil, etc., which is assembled Without the use of staples or adhesive and which may be converted from a shipping package to a dispenser for severing sheets of material from the roll. In its dispensing configuration, the cutting edge of the container is positioned intermediate the front and back edges of the top of the container and the bottom of the container is made larger than the top to prevent tipping of the container when a sheet of material is severed. Additionally, a resilient flap engages the sheet material to prevent recoil of the material into the container when a sheet is severed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention Containers of the type adapted to be converted into dispensers for rolled material.

Description of the prior art Pat. No. 3,237,826 to Ringholz et al. discloses a container for rolled material which may be converted to a dispenser by repositioning one of the panels thereof and inserting a cutting bar panel between the spaced apart edges of its top and front panels.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention represents a modification of the Ringholz et al. container referred to above. While the outward appearance of the carton of the present invention, in its shipping configuration, bears a resemblance to that of Ringholz et al., it is formed from a one piece blank and hence, does not require a separate panel for supporting and severing sheets of material from the roll. Additionally, greater stability against tipping, when severing a sheet from the roll, is obtained by locating the panel which supports the sheet while it is being severed farther back from the forward edge of the container. A further feature of the present carton is that its capacity is double that of the Ringholz carton while using approximately the same amount of carton material. It should also be noted that the modification which results in increased capacity also improves the stability of the carton both because of its wider, lower silhouette and because of the weight of the additional material carried by the carton. It will also be seen that means are provided for engaging the cores of the rolls of material carried by the carton, that the conversion of the carton from its shipping to dispensing configuration has been greatly simplified, and that a resilient flap is provided which engages the sheet material and prevents recoil thereof into the carton.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view of the container blank of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view, in cross-section, showing the container in its shipping configuration;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing the carton in its dispensing configuration; and

3,517,870 Patented June 30, 1970 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring first briefly to FIG. 2 of the drawings, it will be seen that in its shipping configuration, the carton of the present invention is substantially trapezoidal in shape, exhibiting a top panel 1, a bottom panel 2 and front and back panels 3 and 4. A cradle panel, comprising portions 5 and 6, extends rearwardly, parallel to the top panel 1 and then downwardly and rearwardly to the bottom panel 2, dividing the carton into two compartments. A cantilever panel, comprising portions 7 and 8 and bearing a cutting edge 9, if desired, is attached to the lower end of the cradle panel and extends parallel to the bottom panel 2 and then upwardly towards the top panel 1. As will also be seen in FIG. 2, rolls of material 10 and 11 are placed in the compartments of the container prior to shipment,

Turning now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the blank from which the carton of the present invention is formed will be described in detail. As seen in FIG. 1, the blank comprises a cover panel 13 having cover flaps 14 extending outwardly from each lateral edge thereof. Attached to cover panel 13 along one longitudinal edge thereof, is a top panel 1 bearing top panel flaps 15 along each lateral edge thereof with each flap 15 having a notch or cut-out portion 16 for a purpose to be presently described. It will also be noted that intermediate the longitudinal edge of the top panel 1 parallel fold lines. and a slit 30 are formed to provide a braking flap 12. The top panel 1 is in turn joined along one of its longitudinal edges to a longitudinal edge of a back panel 4 having back panel flaps 17 attached along its lateral edges. A bottom panel 2 is joined along one longitudinal edge to the back panel 4 and has attached thereto along its lateral edges sidewall flaps 27. Each sidewall flap is comprised of an exterior end flap 18, a top end flap 19 and an interior end flap 20, the latter having a distal portion defined by the fold line 21. It will also be seen that the interior end flap carries a locking tab 22 along its outer edge and that a complementary slot 23 is formed in the bottom panel 2. It will also be noted that holes 28 may be formed in the bottom panel to accommodate rubber grommets or feet. A front panel 3, bearing substantially trapezoidal wing flaps 24 along each of its lateral edges, is joined along its longitudinal edges to the bottom panel 2 and cradle panel having portions 5 and 6. The portion 6 of the cradle panel has cradle flaps 25, having cut out portions or notches 26, joined to its lateral edges and, attached to one of its longitudinal edges, the cantilever panel, comprising portions 7 and 8.

Turning now to FIG. 4 of the drawings, the first step in assembling the carton of the present invention from the blank just described will be illustrated. As seen in FIG. 4, the flaps 17 and 24 are first folded upwardly so that they extend at to the panels 4 and 3, respectively. Panels 4 and 3 are then folded upwardly about bottom panel 2 until they are in the approximate position shown in FIG. 4 with panel 4 extending upwardly approximately 90 with respect to panel 2 and panel 3 extending upwardly and rearwardly at approximately 65 with respect to panel 2.

Then, as seen in FIG. 5, end flaps 27 may be folded upwardly and inwardly so that flap 18 overlies the exterior of flaps 24 and 17, top end flap 19 overlies the upper edges of flaps 24 and 17 and flap 20 overlies the interior surface of flaps 24 and 17. The fold line 21 in flap 20 permits this flap to be bent and facilitates its positioning on the interior of the carton. As flap 20 is positioned inside the carton, the locking tab 22 is engaged in the slot 23, locking flaps 17-20 and 24 in place and forming the sidewall of the carton. At this point the first roll of material may be placed in the carton.

Following this operation, the flaps 25 are folded about the lateral edge of panel 6 until they extend at approximately 90 with respect to the panel 6. Panels 5 and 6 are then rotated about their point of connection to the front panel 3 until they are in the position shown in FIG. 6 with the panels 5 and 6 overlying the roll of material 10. In this configuration, the flaps 25 are positioned against the inside of the end walls of the carton with the notches 26 thereof engaging the ends of the core of the roll of material 10, holding it securely in place. With continued reference to FIG. 6, it will be seen that the second roll of material 11, may now be placed in the carton, resting on the portion 7 of the cantilever panel.

Flaps 14 and 15 may then be rotated through 90 with respect to the panels 13 and 1, respectively, and the panel 1 rotated about its point of connection with the panel 4 until panel 1 rests on the panel 5 and the upper edges of the sidewalls of the carton. As the panel is thus rotated, the flaps 15 are tucked between the interior end flaps and the cradle flaps 25, with the notches 16 engaging the ends of the core of the material 11. The panel 13 is next rotated about its point of connection with the panel 1 until he panel 13 overlies the front panel 3. As the panel 13 is thus rotated, the flaps 14 are tucked between the wing flaps 24 and the exterior end flaps 18. At this point, the carton, as shown in cross-section in FIG. 2 with the two rolls of material 10 and 11 enclosed therein, is ready for shipment to the consumer.

Referring now to FIGS. 2, 3 and 7, the conversion of the carton from a shipping container to a dispenser will be described. To convert the container from its shipping to its dispensing configuration, the cover panel 13 is raised, together with the top panel 1, exposing the roll 11 of material. The roll 11 is then removed from the carton and the cantilever panel, comprising portions 7 and 8, is rotated about the point of connection between portions 6 of the cradle panel and portion 7 of the cantilever panel until the cantilever panel extends generally upwardly over the portion 6. The roll of material 11 is now replaced in the carton; this time, however, behind the cantilever panel. A short length 31 of the material 11 is now unrolled and trained over the edge of the cantilever panel and the flaps 1 and 13 rotated as described above to reclose the carton. As panel 1 is rotated into position, however, the upper edge of the cantilever panel is guided through the slit so that this panel, with a short length of material over lying its edge, protrudes upwardly through the top panel 1. In this con-figuration, as seen in FIG. 3, the braking flap 12 presses the material against the cantilever panel.

When it is desired to sever a sheet of material from the roll 11, the free edge of the material is grasped and drawn upwardly until the desired length has been unrolled. The material is then pulled downwardly, causing it to be severed by the edge of the cantilever panel. In this connection, it will be noted, a serrated cutting bar 9 may be provided, attached to the outer end of the cantilever panel, to facilitate severing sheets of material. When the roll 11 has been consumed, the carton is reopened and the cradle panels 5 and 6 lifted upwardly, the roll of material 10 removed, the panels 5, 6, 7 and 8 returned to the position shown in FIG. 3, the roll 11 replaced by the roll 10, and the carton reclosed. The consumer now knows that he is using the second roll of material and that it is time to reorder.

From the above, it will be apparent that the carton of the present invention provides several unique and advantageous features with regard to the prior art. While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described for purposes of illustration, it will be apparent that modifications thereof will occur to those skilled in the art within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A container including spaced top and bottom panels, side walls extending between said top and bottom panels, front and back panels extending between said top and bottom panels and said side Walls, a cradle panel attached along one edge thereof to an upper edge of said front panel and extending from the top of said front panel to said bottom panel, and a cantilever panel, wherein the improvement comprises:

(a) said cantilever panel being attached along one edge thereof to an edge of said cradle panel and extending upwardly from adjacent said bottom panel through a slit formed in said top panel intermediate its front and back edges.

(2) The container of claim 1 wherein:

(b) a braking flap is joined along an edge thereof to said top panel intermediate said slit and the rear edge of said top panel.

3. The container of claim 2 wherein:

(c) an edge of said cantilever panel opposite said one edge is adapted for severing sheet material.

4. The container of claim 3 wherein:

(d) said side walls are substantially trapezoidal in shape, and;

(e) said bottom panel is larger than said top panel.

5. The container of claim 4 wherein:

(f) a cover panel is attached along one edge thereof to an edge of said top panel and overlies said front panel,

(g) a top panel flap is attached along an edge thereof to each of the opposite side edges of said top panel,

(h) a cradle flap is attached along an edge thereof to each of the opposite side edges of said cradle panel, and;

(i) said top panel flaps and said cradle flaps have notches formed in distal portions thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,922,826 8/1933 Smith 22548 X 3,088,641 5/1963 Campbell 22548 3,144,970 8/1964 Beschmann 22548 X 3,237,826 3/1966 Ringholz et al 22548 X FRANK. T. YOST, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 22548, 52 

